1. Field
This present application generally relates to contraband detection and article reclaim systems and techniques that inspect articles for contraband and route articles suspected of containing contraband for further inspection. More particularly, the application relates to baggage inspections systems that use automated systems to inspect articles such as inbound passenger bags for contraband, identify suspect bags and route the suspect bags for further inspection.
2. Description of the Related Art
For health, safety and welfare considerations the entry into particular geographical regions and in more localized areas, such as places of work, education and entertainment, of certain materials, goods and other items (collectively contraband) is prohibited. As a result, entities that have an interest in prohibiting the entry of contraband into a region or area (interested agencies) have to inspect various articles to ensure that no contraband is being brought into the region or area.
A common situation involves international airline travel. With airline travel, passenger luggage, baggage or other articles (collectively articles) are often inspected on two occasions: 1) prior to loading the articles on a plane; and 2) after the articles are unloaded from a plane for passenger reclaim or for transfer to another plane. When loading articles on a plane every article is inspected typically using x-ray based inspection machines or other screening techniques including computer tomography (CT) scanning, and nuclear quadrupole resonance (NQR) scanning, etc. However, after unloading, inspection of inbound articles is often conducted after passenger reclaim, and the inspection typically consist of personal profiling of passengers by inspectors followed by manual searching and/or x-ray inspection of suspect articles. This inbound inspection technique is often slow, invasive and typically limits the number of inbound and/or transfer articles that can be inspected. As a result, with current inbound inspection programs every inbound article cannot be inspected without substantial passenger inconvenience.